Myanmar slavery scam: Rebels are jailed in neck-deep water

The image of a slave camp in Myanmar that a captive shared with mid-day

The monsters keep dissenters in a water jail, where they are left in neck-deep water for 24 hours. The victims cannot come out, sleep, take rest or do anything else as this water jail is heavily guarded by their private army who wield deadly weapons," said a man who is still held captive in a slave camp in Myanmar. Meanwhile, three Mumbai-based men, who were forced into slavery, have paid around 2,000 US dollars each for their freedom and returned to the city on Monday night.

Explaining the crimes they are forced to commit, the victim from Myanmar said, "We are given iPhones and contact lists of businessmen/women. We have to pretend to be a woman if approaching a man, and as a man if approaching a woman. In case the target opts for a video call to check, we are told to handover the phone to a woman Thai model who is in the know."

Emmanuel Greene, who was arrested from Lucknow

"The Chinese captors have lakhs of SIM cards of all countries to trap victims. Everything is managed. They have bribed local officials to run the human trafficking chain," he added. Hundreds of Indians are still trapped in Myanmar where the victims are first trained to commit different sorts of cyber crimes. Once they are trained, the victims are given targets, failing which they are subjected to brutal torture such as beating them up with electric batons, iron rods and starvation, etc. mid-day is in touch with dozens of victims who have been sending SOS for rescue.

Also Read: Myanmar slave trade: Play Russian roulette to earn your freedom

Three return to city

Three men, who were forced into modern slavery at Myanmar, returned to the city on Monday night. All three had to pay around 2,000 US dollars or Rs 1.65 lakh each for their freedom. One of the men told mid-day, "I am too exhausted to talk to anyone. I badly need rest. I will speak to you later."

A gun-toting guard on the premises where the Indians are being forced into slavery

His wife said, "I never saw him this weak in the last 10 years. He has lost almost 16 kg in such little time. The Chinese captors have made him emotionally weaker, too. He is really distressed." She added that she will take action against the agent who lured her husband into the trap.

She added that they had not told their family about the racket so far. It is only after his return that the family learnt that he was kept captive in a slave camp.

The survivor was introduced to a Liberian national named Emmanuel Greene, who was arrested by Mumbai police from Lucknow earlier, by a friend of five years. The survivor's wife said she has vowed to take legal action against the Mumbai-based man and his wife who lure unsuspecting people into the slavery trap.

Rs 1.65L
Money survivors had to pay to secure their freedom